Durkheim was one of the first social scientists to analyze suicide under the lens of sociology. In his study, he was dedicated to defining this phenomenon, finding the social causes, extra-social causes and the different types of suicide. He started by defining it by “Among the different species of death, some have the special quality of being the deed of the victim himself, resulting from an act whose author is also the sufferer; and this same characteristic, on the other hand, is certainly fundamental to the usual idea of suicide” (2005, p. 41). Also, he states that suicide can not be explained only by psychological and biological factors, on the other hand, he argues that suicidal patterns are influenced by social forces and must be treated as that. The main reasons for suicides are found in structural and social practices, marriages and economical crisis for example, acts as regulatory forces that impact on suicide. 

Durkheim also identified three type of suicides, the egoistic, altruist and anomic. On the first one, it occurs on low socially integrated people, individuals who don’t feel a strong bond with their community are more prone to this type of suicide.The second one is more likely to occur on highly integrated societies, where death is seen as a sacrifice with a higher meaning. Lastly, the anomic suicide occurs when the social structures are rapidly modified, leaving the individual with not enough social guidance, thus, leading them to suicide. (Durkheim, 2005).

Among other things, Durkheim discovered that suicide is caused by social factors that aren´t always controlled by the individual, and the act itself can mean or be caused by different things depending on the context that the individual its involved into. His interpretation was valued for his contributions on the recently born sociological discipline and made route for a new way of treatment for problems that affect all spheres of social life. 

Preventing suicide has emerged as a global public health concern (WHO, 2014). Addressing this issue effectively requires a comprehensive examination of its causes, assessment, and treatment (Chu et al., 2018). Psychology, as a discipline, plays an important role in advancing the scientific understanding of individuals and the immediate environmental factors influencing suicide.

Over the past two decades of psychological studies on suicide, researchers have mainly focused on the question: "Why do individuals with suicidal ideation not act on it?" This exploration aims to identify factors that explain actual suicidal behavior, allowing for targeted intervention. The outcome of these investigations gave rise to the interpersonal theory of suicide (Joiner, 2005).

This theory posits a pathway from mental well-being to suicide. It starts with the concepts of thwarted belongingness, which reflects loneliness and the absence of reciprocal care, and perceived burdensomeness, which involves the mistaken belief that one's death holds greater value than their life (Chu et al., 2018).

While thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness can lead to hopelessness, a precursor to suicidal ideation or desire, they alone are insufficient to drive a lethal or near-lethal suicide attempt. To bridge this gap, the concept of "capability for suicide" becomes crucial. This factor increases after repeated exposures to painful events, diminishing the fear of death and increasing pain tolerance, increasing the risk to commmit a suicide attempts.